Jo Watson Hackl debuted last month with Smack Dab in the Middle of Maybe (Random), a middle-grade novel that places an art mystery in a Mississippi ghost town. The story is narrated by 12-year-old Cricket, who Booklist reviewer Carolyn Phelan describes as “idiosyncratic, intrepid, and wholly likable.” Cricket grew up hearing about a secret room, and when […]
The recent death of Richard Peck at age 84 invites reminiscence. I first met him back in the early 80s, when I interviewed him for my television author interview program In Print. I was immediately impressed by how easily articulate he was. I so enjoyed talking with him that we continued our conversation after the […]
Our readers are often curious about the process of writing and publishing books, and we’re happy to provide access to the experts. In this installment of Publishing U, Danica Davidson, author of two middle-grade fiction series inspired by Minecraft, lets us know how to engage children who very well might rather be playing video games. […]
As anyone on Twitter will have by now discerned, it’s #NationalTacoDay! These books for youth, linked to their excerpted Booklist reviews, exult the taco in all it’s taco-y glory. Dragons Love Tacos, by Adam Rubin Tacos are high on the list of dragon-friendly foods. Who knew? There is, however, a major qualification: the salsa […]
One of my favorite things about working in a school is the school year cycle itself. I love the momentum and the sense of change. There’s a clear beginning (New school supplies! Bright ideas for lessons! Brand. New. Books!) and a clear end (Collecting all the books! End-of-year reports! Putting in final grades!). OK, the […]
Lynn: Regular readers know I’m a big fan of fantasy and science fiction. I’m so excited because I recently received new volumes from several of my favorite series. I’ve been begging for them for ages, but suddenly I have a dilemma: I desperately want to reread the first volume in these series before I jump feet first […]
Last fall, to commemorate Roald Dahl’s hundredth birthday, the late author’s estate and publisher launched a year-long celebration of all things Dahl. (We celebrated by eating crow—to read all about how Booklist has slagged off Dahl’s writing over the years, click here.) In March, the Roald Dahl Literary Estate and others kicked off Roald Dahl’s Imaginormous Challenge—a contest that closes […]
Lynn: It’s that time again! Time for Cindy and me to announce our favorite books of the year. We are making no attempt to pick the year’s award winners—just to list the books we loved reading in alphabetical order. Because I don’t have Cindy’s discipline and always have a terrible time narrowing my choices, I […]
Another year distinguished by a glut of good books has flown by. One of my hardest jobs in the face of such abundance is winnowing the lot to a manageable few of the best; in this case, that means a baker’s dozen selected from an initial list of 27. Ah, the labors of Hercules! Anyway, the […]
Every weekday, we feature a different review on Booklist Online that highlights starred reviews, high-demand titles, and/or titles especially relevant to our current issue’s spotlight. We’ve collected the reviews from December 12 through 16 below, so that you can revisit the week’s best books. Monday, December 12 Dad and the Dinosaur, by Gennifer Choldenko Newbery Honor Book author Choldenko […]
Encouraging Middle-Schoolers to Choose Books
There’s been a lot of discussion among the librarians I know about what to do with middle-schoolers: they just don’t seem to read as much as they used to. I know that here in Chicago, we have a unique perspective on this situation, since our schools run K–8. In my former school system in Maryland […]
Getting Started with the Global Read Aloud
The 2017 Global Read Aloud kicked off yesterday, and I’m here to help. Author and educator Pernille Ripp founded the program as a way to connect students and teachers from different locales around the topics of books. (Think One Book One School or One Book One City, but on a global scale.) Each year, Ripp […]
TWO TRUTHS AND A LIE: Practice Recognizing Fake News
Cindy: There have been a number of YA fiction books with the title “Two Truths and a Lie,” but we’ve found a creative, informational book for middle-grade students that reinforces evaluating information for truth. Fake news, anyone? Two Truths and a Lie: It’s Alive (2017) by Ammi-Joan Paquette and Laurie Ann Thompson is the first […]
Encouraging Middle-Schoolers to Choose Books
There’s been a lot of discussion among the librarians I know about what to do with middle-schoolers: they just don’t seem to read as much as they used to. I know that here in Chicago, we have a unique perspective on this situation, since our schools run K–8. In my former school system in Maryland […]
Getting Started with the Global Read Aloud
The 2017 Global Read Aloud kicked off yesterday, and I’m here to help. Author and educator Pernille Ripp founded the program as a way to connect students and teachers from different locales around the topics of books. (Think One Book One School or One Book One City, but on a global scale.) Each year, Ripp […]
TWO TRUTHS AND A LIE: Practice Recognizing Fake News
Cindy: There have been a number of YA fiction books with the title “Two Truths and a Lie,” but we’ve found a creative, informational book for middle-grade students that reinforces evaluating information for truth. Fake news, anyone? Two Truths and a Lie: It’s Alive (2017) by Ammi-Joan Paquette and Laurie Ann Thompson is the first […]
Follow the Booklist Reader